Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football
Derrick E. White, "Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football"
English | ISBN: 1469652447 | 2019 | 320 pages | EPUB | 7 MB
English | ISBN: 1469652447 | 2019 | 320 pages | EPUB | 7 MB
Black college football began during the nadir of African American life after the Civil War. The first game occurred in 1892, a little less than four years before the Supreme Court ruled segregation legal in Plessy v. Ferguson. In spite of Jim Crow segregation, Black colleges produced some of the best football programs in the country. They mentored young men who became teachers, preachers, lawyers, and doctors–not to mention many other professions–and transformed Black communities. But when higher education was integrated, the programs faced existential challenges as predominately white institutions steadily set about recruiting their student athletes and hiring their coaches.